It was stupid to us and it was generally stupid as well considering how low the possibility was of gaining anything useful, but people forget Balon had a grudge on the Starks. Admittedly he should then have a grudge on the Baratheons and Lannisters too, and the fact he singles out the Starks is infuriating, but he had no moral obligation to kindly become Robb's lackey (and let's face it, he would be a lackey) just because he had given him back his son.

If someone had smashed down the walls of your home in an attack that had killed your son, would you be eager for an alliance with them, even if said smashing down of walls was ultimately your fault? No, I don't think so. So why should posters repeatedly label him as stupid just for refusing an alliance with the people he hated.

He was a nasty, ill-made spiteful creature full of envy and low cunning, but he was his own man and it is hardly surprising he rejected Stark's peace.

What does infuriate me is that he offered the Lannisters an alliance later on. They hurt you too, bro!

Quite honestly I don't think Balon really had a grudge on the Lannisters, which makes me think they didn't contribute much to stopping his rebellion. Mind you, he waited until Ned and Robert were dead to launch his attack, not Tywin.

That being said, I agree with your post. Balon was in no way wrong by rejecting Robb's terms. However, he proved an idiot in many other ways.

Well, yeah, everything you said is true. I just wrote this in the "who screwed robb over thread" but it was fucking stupid of Robb to think that Balon would even accept his alliance at all. It was a lost cause, and Robb sent Balon back his own hostage so he had no reason not to rebel again.

Not to mention that if you want someone to treat with a previous enemy, maybe that enemy's own SON wasn't a great person to send. Any person with half a damn brain would have sent someone besides Theon.